8.7.2: Crime and Violence
People who witness or who are victims of crime and violence - particularly where they live - are at risk for a host of health issues. Certainly there is a risk of injury or death from violence itself, but also for stress and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Other health issues related to stress are also higher risk, like hypertension, stroke, asthma, and mental health disorders. Crime can include property crimes such as break-ins, robberies, and vandalism. Violence encompasses physical assault, child or intimate partner abuse, elder abuse, and gun violence - including homicides and suicides. The long-term impact of violence on children was also discussed earlier with ACE’s, but anyone of any age can have adverse health effects from witnessing or even hearing about violence ( Crime and Violence - Healthy People 2030 , n.d.).
Firearm injuries and deaths are a significant public health problem in the United States, and disproportionately impact certain populations. Over 85% of gun death or injury victims are men. Gun homicide rates are highest among teens and young adults, and especially Black, Hispanic or AI/AN young people ( Fast Facts: Firearm Violence and Injury Prevention , 2023). In recent years, firearm deaths (including accidents, homicides, and suicides) became the leading cause of death for children between 1-17 years old - even outpacing car accidents and childhood cancers. Accounting for 20% of the deaths of children in America in 2021, this far outpaced other wealthy nations like Canada, several countries in Europe, and Japan ( Child and Teen Firearm Mortality in the U.S. and Peer Countries , 2023).
There are structural conditions that place minoritized and impoverished communities at higher risk for crime and violence, and others that offer protective benefits to more affluent neighborhoods. For example, higher income inequality and lower economic opportunities are associated with a higher risk of violence when comparing different neighborhoods. Families who have to move often because of housing instability have less time to create social ties with the neighborhood, thus decreasing social capital and social cohesion (see this topic below). Although there may be more crime in many minoritized neighborhoods, there is also less trust in the criminal justice system: these neighborhoods are often overpoliced and experience more police misconduct, including police brutality. Police violence is a leading cause of death for young Black men (P. A. Braveman et al., 2022). The lifetime risk of being killed by police is highest for Black men, followed by American Indian/Alaskan Native men, and Latinos (Edwards et al., 2019). Distrust in the police is commonly precipitated by police misconduct and over-policing in minoritized communities, which may also contribute to increased violence (Armstead et al., 2019).